One-Quarter of Downloaded Apps Used Just Once, Survey Finds
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CREDIT: Localytics |
A report from a software company shows that one of every four apps downloaded last year was used once and never again.
Boston-based company Localytics announced its finding — the actual rate was 26 percent —in a blog post yesterday (Jan. 31). The company said it surveyed Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone and Windows Phone 7 applications using a real-time app analytics service to arrive at the result.
If approaching the finding from a glass-half-full rather than half-empty perspective, the news that about three out of four apps do in fact get used again is rather encouraging, Localytics suggested.
After all, given the explosive growth of apps over the past year, the opportunity and temptation for an app user to become distracted by the latest thing are greater than ever.
According to year-end stats from Distimo, an app store analytics firm, the largest app clearinghouse, Apple's App Store , doubled its apps to around 300,000. The number from the second largest vendor, the Android Market, increased sixfold to 130,000 apps.
Also positive news for app developers was the continued surge of smartphones. Marketing research company comScore pegged the number of smartphone users at 42.7 million in November 2009 and 61.5 million in November 2010.
Overall, given the hypercompetitive scene for apps, with many of them available for free, Localytics stressed that making a good first impression is – as in all other walks of life –critical for app makers.
• Truly an App for Everything: App Stores' Business Boomed in 2010
• iPad Apps at iPadNewsDaily
• 12 Trippy Apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
